Tag: credit card for christmas shopping

Sometimes, even after you’ve perused all the websites that you can find searching for the right credit card, the perfect loan, or even the right credit reporting / monitoring vendor, you still can’t find what you want.

What should you do? Just take whatever offer you got in the mail? Settle for less than you want or need? Pay more interest? More annual fees?

Absolutely not!

When you run out of options, we encourage you to let the experts help you to find just the right credit card, or personal loan, or whatever you need. Use the tools that you’ll find online, get your free credit scores, let them “match” you to the best credit cards for your credit score.

But before you fill those credit card applications out, you might just want to sit down at your computer and compare what exactly you would be getting when you sign up for that new credit card.

Are you getting the best possible interest rate for your credit score? Remember, most of those mailers are based at least partly on the demographics for your area, meaning that it’s not just your credit that is considered, but also that of your neighbors, and other people around you.

Are there hidden fees? Is the length of the balance transfer offer the best one available for your particular credit score range? Read the fine print carefully. Over the past few years, there has been an increase in the number of credit card companies charging a monthly usage fee as opposed to an annual fee, especially if you’re in the lower tiers of the credit score ranges. That monthly usage fee could apply even if you don’t carry a balance on your card.

Are you absolutely certain that the offer is legitimate? Sadly, some of the credit card offers that you receive in your mailbox could very well be identity theft scams masquerading as credit card offers. Before you fill out any application (mail-in or online), verify the source!

Here at Fresh Start Card Offers, ALL of our online applications link directly to the credit card, catalog, or loan provider, so you can be sure that your personal information is safe!

Yes, it’s that time of year again… Retailers aren’t just putting up Halloween decorations, they’re also putting up Christmas decorations! And, you know what that means… it’s not just the most wonderful time of the year, it’s also the most expensive time of the year!

Where will you get the money to do your Christmas shopping this year?

If you’re like most of us, money is tight. By the time you pay the bills, buy food, and pay for normal expenses, there just isn’t that much left for extras! And Christmas is definitely FULL of extra expenses… there are gifts for work, gifts for church, gifts for family celebrations, and that doesn’t even include gifts for your own children or your significant other! All told, most of us spend hundreds of dollars every year just buying Christmas gifts, and lots of times, it’s money we just don’t have.

Fortunately, I’ve found a way to handle all of my Christmas shopping in one easy step – I do all of my Christmas shopping on Fingerhut.com! That’s right, I shop online at Fingerhut.com. Not only do they have everything that I could possibly want to give to literally anyone on my list, but they have a low monthly payment plan that fits my budget. So, I get all of my shopping done without leaving the house AND there’s no big, ugly surprise come January when those Christmas bills come in… Fingerhut lists the payment UP FRONT when I’m shopping, so I know exactly what I will need to pay once the new year rolls around.

What could be better? I have a no stress holiday season and no budget stress after it’s all over! What about you? Could you use a stress free holiday season this year?

Thinking about getting a brand new credit card to do your Christmas shopping this year? Should you actually use a credit card to do your Christmas shopping? Most credit experts would automatically tell you no, but is that really what’s best?

At first glance, it may not seem like a good idea to do your Christmas shopping using a credit card. But, with today’s economy, sometimes it’s just really hard to come up with the cash you need, and especially if you have kids, you may not have a choice but to use those credit cards for gift purchases.

If that’s the way you choose to handle this year’s Christmas expenses, there are a few things that you should consider up front when looking for that new credit card.

Make sure that you shop around – don’t apply for the first credit card that you see. Compare interest rates, cash back percentages, what qualifies for cash back purchases, and what the payment terms are.

Don’t apply for multiple cards. Every time that there is a “hard credit inquiry,” it can affect your credit score, so compare all of the cards first, and then only apply for the one that you like best and that you’ll be most likely to qualify for.

Know your credit score. Don’t apply for cards you’re not likely to be approved for – choose offers that are within your credit range.

Try to get the card that offers you the most cash back, or even better, one with an introductory interest rate so you’ll save money when it’s time to make those payments.

Make a solid plan to repay the charges, otherwise you’ll end up in even worse shape after the holidays are over. Consider using your tax refund to pay it off in full and then don’t use the card until next Christmas!

So, you see, using a credit card for your Christmas shopping doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Just make sure that you use credit responsibly and, if you manage your card right, it could actually help your credit worthiness in the long run.

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Fresh Start Card Offers receives compensation for offers that appear on this site. This may affect how and where said products appear on our site. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and the likelihood of applicants’ credit approval may also impact how and where products appear on this site. Fresh Start Card Offers does not include all available financial or credit offers.

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At Fresh Start Card Offers, rest assured that your personal financial information is completely secure!
We do not gather or store your personal information. When you click on a credit card offer listed on this site, you will be redirected to the credit card issuing company's secure server to complete your credit card application.

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